Why you need ring insurance. Or, how I lost her ring on the beach yesterday.

[BlingDreams]

What an adventure! Amazed that you were able to recreate the path back to the exact spot you had parked!! With all those empty miles of beach sand, thank goodness you had noticed that donut!

And no, your wife doesn’t look 63. She’s adorable too!! But I doubt she’ll ask you to hold her ring again in the future

 

[ac117]

OMG! This would've given me a heart attack! So glad you found it and agree with so many others...hope you bought a lottery ticket!!!

 

[Johnbt]

About once an hour she looks me in the eye and says that she will never take it off again. Good. That's why I bought it, right?

And thanks to everyone for the good wishes. We're enjoying the thread.
She's a workaholic who will use computers at work - f/t counseling, p/t hospital ER - because she has to, but I've never known her to follow a discussion forum thread. I've been addicted since the last century and I've been retired for 5 years fwiw.

We haven't told the story to anyone else yet, we're waiting to do it in person so we can see their reactions.

I just figured out late last night that North Carolina sells lottery tickets. I'm getting at least one today, although I think I've used up all my luck for this year and next.

And about insurance. Yes, I purchased a JM policy when the rings were delivered. I almost didn't because sometimes self-insuring makes more sense to me. I compromised and bought a policy with a $5,000 deductible.
But seriously, I think they would have denied the claim after only a couple of weeks. "You dropped her new ring on the beach and drove off? HAHAHAHAHAHA. Sure you did buddy. Go away. And your policy is canceled."

Okay, time to head to the beach.

 

[whitewave]

Why? Because the world is full of people like me.

We are spending the week on the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina. We drove down Friday afternoon and drove out on the beach at Oregon Inlet yesterday. The Park Service has a little over 2 miles of beach open to driving if you have a $120/year permit. The permit is good on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island as well. It wasn't crowded, but still rutted up below the high tide line. I'll get back to this pic in a minute.



I have small lock box with a built-in combination lock cabled to the back of the front seat track that I use to hold my keys, billfold and phone while I'm fishing or hunting seashells. As best I can figure, when we left after 4 hours I pulled my keys out of the box and her ring came with them. Oops.

We drove 18 miles north back to the cottage in Kill Devil Hills and the ring wasn't there when I took my billfold and phone out of the box. WTHeck.
I cut back the carpet, looked in the vents under the seat, and pretty much stood on my head for 20 minutes looking under the seat. Grr.

Did I mention the ring had arrived from Whiteflash on 4/10? A nice 1.51 carat F VVS2 ACA in a platinum U-113.

On with the story. The nervous breakdown continues. I told her I'd get her the cheaper of the two 2 carat stones from the Collection Series whether she wanted one that big or not. She wanted her ring and her diamond, of course. She picked them.

We got back in the 4Runner and drove the 18 miles back to the beach. It was 4 pm or so and high tide was due just after 7.
I remembered that we'd been parked next to a doughnut somebody had cut into sand by driving in a circle with 4 wheels spinning.

I've been visiting the Outer Banks since the early '70s and have a little sense of direction.
When we left I had made u-turn through the doughnut - the doughnut being the tire track ruts running left-right in this pic. Our tracks run from the right edge off into the distance.

It took me 10 minutes to find where I'd backed up hours and hours ago, but that gave me the precise spot we'd parked parallel to the surf. I figured where the back door would have been on the driver's side and started scraping the surface with my antique folding shovel. I'd do 4 scrapes and quickly scatter the piles and she'd follow behind breaking the little clods of damp sand with her fingertips. (Notice in the lower right corner the sand is wet. That was from a wave. The tide was beginning to move and was nearly up to us.)

I had just done the 3rd set of scrapes when she found it.

I'll have it checked when we get home, but it appears to be completely undamaged.

I think we both aged a little, but she still doesn't look 63.


I don't know if I need ring insurance, but I really should buy a lottery ticket.

Whew.

Wow! I had my own lost stud issue recently as well. Glad I had insurance even though my agent said not to use it for $2200 (cost of replacement).

I am so relieved you found it and that it appears I damaged!

 

[Vera W]

Whew @Johnbt I am SO releived that you found it. Some things are just meant to be, even with great adventure involved. Yippee. Also glad you got the insurance. As one who assists clients with replacements, I can attest that you just never know what can happen or when. No worries about JM Ins. they are solid and will take good care of you. Even a week after proposal and she accidently left the ring on a table in the airport, or 3 weeks later when a child took the ring to clean it and flushed it down the toliet. Or yes even, the dog ate the ring. (not one I personally was involved in but yes heard it from the client. )

Many happy years of wear and delightfulness with your ACA! Keep enjoying the adventours life.

 

[HappyNewLife]

whoa. Yes, EVERYONE should insure their engagement ring. Boy were you lucky!!!

 

[WinkHPD]

About once an hour she looks me in the eye and says that she will never take it off again. Good. That's why I bought it, right?

And thanks to everyone for the good wishes. We're enjoying the thread.
She's a workaholic who will use computers at work - f/t counseling, p/t hospital ER - because she has to, but I've never known her to follow a discussion forum thread. I've been addicted since the last century and I've been retired for 5 years fwiw.

We haven't told the story to anyone else yet, we're waiting to do it in person so we can see their reactions.

I just figured out late last night that North Carolina sells lottery tickets. I'm getting at least one today, although I think I've used up all my luck for this year and next.

And about insurance. Yes, I purchased a JM policy when the rings were delivered. I almost didn't because sometimes self-insuring makes more sense to me. I compromised and bought a policy with a $5,000 deductible.
But seriously, I think they would have denied the claim after only a couple of weeks. "You dropped her new ring on the beach and drove off? HAHAHAHAHAHA. Sure you did buddy. Go away. And your policy is canceled."

Okay, time to head to the beach.

Actually, my experience with JM is that they pony up when the need arises. Few of my clients have ever lost anything insured by them, but none of them who did had any problem in being paid.

I lost my ring somewhere in a half mile skin diving adventure in Okinawa in water that varied from fifteen to forty feet deep. No idea when in the half mile it fell from my finger and although I swam back and forth several times, I never had a chance.

I am glad you were able to find yours!

Wink

 

[luv2sparkle]

Wow, what a story! I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I got to the end! Whew, sooooo glad you found it! And, yes, insurance is a very good thing. Hope you never need it!

 

[Shinybaubles]

My heart was racing as I read your story. Also, I shall never again silently mock the guy on the beach with a metal detector -- with incidents like this, he can make bank. So glad you found your treasure!!

 

[GearGirly]

OMG I knew you would find it when I was reading the details but still amazing. Finding something in the sand is seriously almost impossible. You have a dang good story to tell.

 

[AprilBaby]

What a story and yes! She looks Way younger than 63!

 

[blueMA]

Because of the title, I felt a knot in my stomach and expected a loss/damage of your precious e-ring.

It brought me back to my horrible experience back in the early 90s when my brand new expensive Cartier watch I wore for just a few weeks fell off (clasp lock) my wrist at a busy Commonwealth St in Boston when I was getting out of my car, and I managed to find the crushed remnant of the watch after I backtracked and found the exact spot. I still have the crushed watch remaining in my jewelry box...

Soooo glad your story has a happy ending!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lessons to be learned from this thread....

1) Don't have a loose ring anywhere (other than the ring holder in the bathroom), and especially don't leave it in a car where it may be stolen (I realize that is unlikely where you were!).

2) Never, ever wear a ring while swimming. You see too many stories of rings coming off in the water and sometimes people are unaware.

Glad you had insurance. And you were wise to take a high deductible. I never insure lower priced items due to it being unwise to make small claims.

 

[Bonfire]

I love your sense of humor throughout your story! So fun!
I’m so relieved you found your beautiful ring!

 

[949r6]

Nervewrecking! Cheers to the happy ending and the 4runner that helped!

 

[Rpb]

Wow what a story and the best ending...glad you found it!!!! Must have done the happy dance....

 

[DAF]

So happy you found her ring.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

@Johnbt - I know exactly how you must've felt! This was an ingenious ending to a tragedy in the making. I'm so glad you found your wife's ring safe and sound! The sun was definitely shining on you that day my friend.